CAREERS NEWSLETTER 2018-19
ISSUE 3 – Friday 12 October 2018 This issue leads on resilience, looking at particular Bablake examples. We have an excellent interview with a former pupil who works at Diageo and offer elements all pupils may select for their individual #18Before18 programmes. Our report on the Mock Interview Morning has been held back until our 1 st XV’s evening workshop on Wed 17th October with former pupil Ben Cooper.
EMPLOYERS APPRECIATE RESILIENCE - KEEP TRYING! Be bold! Learn from failure! These are messages you have heard Bablake’s Headmaster deliver recently, while illustrating his point with the example of James Dyson testing prototype after prototype, before running with a final design he was happy with. Of course this message is spot on; employers value young people with the confidence to challenge themselves, not give up, persist and show the resilience and humility necessary if all does not go entirely to plan straightaway. This week, I witnessed our boys’ 1st XI hockey team lose 3-2 in a friendly. 2-0 down very early in the game, our players dug in and battled their way through the rest of the first half ending with the momentum of a goal back and a flurry of short corners. This resilience led to the equaliser midway through the second half. Unfortunately an immediate opposition response saw the restoration of their lead and while our team’s resilience did not diminish, we narrowly failed to avoid defeat. This game pattern is a familiar one apparently, but with patience and similar resolve in future fixtures, success will surely arrive. The Careers department sees resilience in Bablake students daily. The two students who greeted me on A level Results Day, at 7.30am last year, received grades below their desired offer. There were some tears – visible and held back - but the resilience of both was exceptional. They tackled Clearing with complete professionalism and with family and school support were soon ready to telephone or email university departments to claim clearing spaces. One headed to Newcastle to study Marine Biology, combining a love of science and adventure. The other gained a good offer from Nottingham, but Aston’s loyalty in Clearing and the placement opportunities won the argument. Both students have reported they are enjoying the courses their outstanding resilience negotiated. Another student, whose plans to study in Northern Ireland fell through at the same time, has made every effort deep in the South West to add further employability to her Marine Engineering degree by gaining a PADI diving qualification. Her positive attitude and natural resilience, when faced with adversity, have opened impressive new paths. Resilience has a price, but it soon becomes a habit… for anyone. After more than 50 years despising and avoiding long distance running – even to Eddie’s Ices - your Careers department has been facing the challenge of Coventry’s weekly 5km Park Run this year; the resilience necessary in reducing its first race time by over 10 minutes has been extreme, but we keep reminding ourself that the training and results are worth it.
CLASS OF 2018 UPDATE Last year, we congratulated Upper Sixth students Lucie Barnes (AECOM), Liam McSorley & Remy McNamara (both Deloitte), Aaron Biddle (IBM Futures) and Krina Mistry (Specsavers) on successfully negotiating competitive interviews to gain places on school leaver programmes and apprenticeship schemes. We will post updates from these students over the year, but we have already received news from Aaron, Liam and Remy. All are enjoying the responsibility of their roles, the training, the travel and the fact that their work is very real. At Deloitte, they are also working hard for regular professional exams. We suspect they may envy our forthcoming Half Term, but holiday plans they have mentioned may help remedy this! Remy, one of Deloitte’s ‘Brightstart’ students, commented: “I am officially one month into my employment with Deloitte and cannot believe how quickly time has gone! Things are going well. My initial training was 2 weeks – one in London and one in the Cotswolds. This was mixed with both university grads and IPs, so it was fairly intense. I am now back in London in the offices, which are incredible, and have begun my first project, which is very interesting. The company has been so accommodating and everyone, including the senior partners, has been really approachable which is reassuring. I’m so excited!”
@BablakeCareers